The present invention relates to a device for controlling the orientation of the movable reflector of a motor vehicle headlight and more specifically to a device for displaying this orientation by means of a graduated scale coupled with an adjustment device which is used to change the orientation of the movable reflector in a horizontal and/or vertical plane.
French patent application No. 2,702,184 discloses a device for controlling and adjusting the orientation of the reflector of a motor vehicle headlight, which device comprises a ball-and-socket joint element to allow the reflector to move in a horizontal and/or vertical plane, actuating means to rotate the reflector about the balland-socket joint, and a graduated reference scale mounted on a part fixed to the outside of the headlight, with a movable indicator, also on the outside of the headlight and fixed to the reflector, being able to slide with respect to this scale so as to show the position of the said reflector, relative to an initial position, which has been set once the reflector has been orientated in the correct position.
The initial position of the graduated scale is set by sliding the scale with respect to the movable indicator after first having loosened a locking screw which is then tightened again once the adjustment has been made, so as to fix the scale in the zero position.
This known device is not very reliable over time on account of the fact that both the graduated scale and the actuating means are exposed to dust and splashes of water which impair their ability to function correctly and prevent the orientation of the reflector from being checked quickly and easily on the graduated scale.